The Trump administration has issued a directive to the Pentagon, demanding an 8% annual budget reduction over the next five years. This significant cut, impacting approximately $50 billion from the fiscal year 2026 budget proposal initially drafted by the Biden administration, was announced in a February 19 statement by Robert Salesses, acting Deputy Secretary of Defense.
In a memo dated February 18, all military branches and civilian defense agencies received orders to submit revised budget proposals by February 24, reflecting these mandated reductions. “President Trump’s charge to the Department is clear: to achieve peace through strength. We will do this by putting forward budgets that revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence,” Salesses stated.
Certain key programs will remain untouched by these cuts. These include border security and the recently proposed Iron Dome for America missile defense initiative, a project detailed in a January 27 executive order. This initiative aims to establish a comprehensive defense against advanced threats, including hypersonic and ballistic missiles, and relies heavily on space-based assets. No cost estimates for the Iron Dome program have been publicly released.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has initiated a review process to determine which programs will be subject to cuts from the Biden administration's FY2026 budget proposal. According to Salesses, this review will primarily target “low-impact and low-priority Biden-legacy programs.” The funds saved through these reductions will be reallocated to programs aligned with the Trump administration's priorities.
The administration has indicated that programs related to climate change and what it terms “excessive bureaucracy” are likely to face the first and most substantial cuts. The Pentagon’s final budget proposal, incorporating these directives, is anticipated to be presented to Congress in the coming months, prompting what is sure to be a contentious debate on national defense priorities.